All is not Well in Paradise, Now Aruba upset with The Netherlands: “The relationship between the Netherlands and Aruba is currently so bad …”

But according to Oduber, Aruba has lost confidence in the Netherlands, now that this country has made the island’s financial loans conditional.  It is so, that Aruba can no longer take out loans just like that.

So then it should come as no surprise to Prime Minister Nelson Oduber or any other Aruban officials why the United States tourism community has lost confidence in Aruba. Turn about is fair play Mr. Oduber. If you cannot properly protect US citizens on your island, properly investigate crimes against US citizens and properly conduct a prosecution without having corruption, nepotism or favoritism be the standard … then you to have gained the overwheleming lack of trust of tourists.

Prime Minister Nelson Oduber, the US and supportive tourists who refuse to come to Aruba to vacation have a condition for you as well if you have not figured it out yet. Justice for Natalee Holloway or Aruba’s tourism will never have a chance to return to what it once was. Its as simple as that.

“If the Netherlands does not change her position on Aruba’s loans, then there is no need for Nicolaà ¯ to come back here”, says premier Nelson Oduber (MEP) to the Amigoe.   

During Nicolai’s visit, the parties were supposed to further negotiate the collaboration between Aruba and the other kingdom islands on judicial- and financial matters.  But according to Oduber, Aruba has lost confidence in the Netherlands, now that this country has made the island’s financial loans conditional.  It is so, that Aruba can no longer take out loans just like that.

Is it any wonder why the Dutch are making loans conditional as they most probably do not trust the numbers they are given or are not allowed internal audits of what they are being told. Add The Netherlands to the list of countries who do not trust the Aruban authority at their word. Welcome to reality Aruba … seems that many things should be conditional when entering into agreements with this government.

Aruba now wants to borrow 50 million dollars from the Deutsche Bank, but this bank doesn’t want to complete the transaction as long as the Federal Government does not approve the loan.  The Netherlands’s condition for this is that article 29 should not only apply to foreign loans, but to all loans that Aruba contracts.  In addition, the Netherlands wants the guarantee that the Aruban government does not touch the reserves of the Central Bank of Aruba (CBA).

Read the full article from Amigoe, October 23, 2006 Conflict on permission to contract a 50 million dollar loan Visit Nicol aà ¯ hangs by a thread

The new Dutch minister for Governmental Renewal and Kingdom Relations, Atzo Nicolaà ¯ paid Aruba a first acquaintance visit in August, and if it is up to Prime Minister Nelson Oduber, it was also his last.

ARUBA – The relationship between the Netherlands and Aruba is currently so bad that the visit of the Dutch minister Atzo Nicolaà ¯ that is planned for this coming Monday will possibly be cancelled.  “If the Netherlands does not change her position on Aruba’s loans, then there is no need for Nicolaà ¯ to come back here”, says premier Nelson Oduber (MEP) to the Amigoe.   

During Nicolai’s visit, the parties were supposed to further negotiate the collaboration between Aruba and the other kingdom islands on judicial- and financial matters.  But according to Oduber, Aruba has lost confidence in the Netherlands, now that this country has made the island’s financial loans conditional.  It is so, that Aruba can no longer take out loans just like that.  Article 29 of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands prescribes that for the contracting and guaranteeing of loans outside the Kingdom, Aruba needs the approval of the Federal Government or the National Council of Ministers, which is made up of the council of ministers of the Netherlands, supplemented with the ministers Plenipotentiary of Aruba and the Neth.Antilles. 

LOAN

Aruba now wants to borrow 50 million dollars from the Deutsche Bank, but this bank doesn’t want to complete the transaction as long as the Federal Government does not approve the loan.  The Netherlands’s condition for this is that article 29 should not only apply to foreign loans, but to all loans that Aruba contracts.  In addition, the Netherlands wants the guarantee that the Aruban government does not touch the reserves of the Central Bank of Aruba (CBA).   The Oduber-cabinet says that by doing this, The Hague is in breach of the Statute. 

“I have an unpleasant feeling about this and that is a shame”, says Oduber.  Aruba and the Netherlands were according to him, on the right path in the negotiations concerning the new political relations within the Kingdom.  “We were willing to collaborate in the field of police and foreigners policy, but I have the feeling now that there is a catch and perhaps more.” 

DEFERRED

Oduber says that at this moment, there is no zest to continue negotiating.  The continuation of the negotiations and the visit of Nicolaà ¯ depend on the results of the deliberation of the Dutch minister with the permanent House-committee Netherlands-Antillean and Aruban Affairs (NAAZ).  This committee of the Lower House met with the minister on the political developments of the Neth.Antilles yesterday, and also Aruba was brought up.

Besides, not only the negotiations concerning the new relations within the Kingdom were deferred, but also other talks, in which Aruba was willing to collaborate more with the Netherlands.  “We will now wait and see.  If the Netherlands continues to hold on to her position, we will then wait till after the elections of November 22nd.  In that case, Nicolaà ¯ can better stay in the Netherlands and run campaign and hope that the VVD gets back in the government”, said Oduber. 

RESERVATION

AVP-leader Mike Eman indicated that he can understand why the Netherlands makes a reservation with regard to the loans.  “The foreign loans are increasing, the integrity of the authorities is under dispute and the government clashes with institutions, like the General Audit Office, the Central Bank, and her own Accountants’ service.  Several government organizations denied this institution access when it wanted to conduct audits.”  

He also says that the Advisory Council disagreed with more than 50 percent of the new legislation, but that the Oduber-cabinet has still enforced the new laws. “We can understand that the Dutch-cabinet doesn’t want to approve the loans, at least until it is clear what the government is going to do about her high spending.” 

INTERFERENCE

The Aruban government is of the opinion that the Dutch government is violating the Statute by making the contracting of loans outside the Kingdom conditional.  The Federal Government can do this, because the Statute states that actions can be taken in three cases:  when contracting a loan affects the international position of the entire Kingdom; when due to the loan, the country in question gets in a subordinate position of a foreign power; and when a loan violates the sound government of the applicant country.

The Dutch minister of Finance, Gerrit Zalm (VVD) has used this last reason for attaching a condition to the loans that Aruba wants to contract.  But the Aruban government is of the opinion that this is not correct, because Zalm could have only done that if he has perception of the current government finances of Aruba and the prognoses, which he doesn’t have, according to the spokesperson of the Oduber government.  Besides, the Netherlands has comparatively a bigger debt than Aruba, respectively 60 and 46 percent of the government budget.